Bicycle



3 SheetsShee t 1 S. SMITH.

BICYCLE (No Model.)

No. 382,913. Patented May 15, 1888.

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BICYCLE (No Model.)

Patented May 15, 1888.

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3 SheetsSheet 3. S. SMITH.

BICYCLE (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcnt SIDNEY SMITH, OF PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS,

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,913. dated May 15,1.889n Application filed January 18, 1883. Serial No. 261,089. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY SMITH, a citizen of the United Sta-tes,and aresident of Pine Bluff, in the county of Jefferson and State ofArkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,and in which- Figure 1 is a side view of my improved bicycle. Fig. 2 isa transverse vertical sectional view through the steering-head. Fig.3 isa side view of the driving gear, showing one side of the frame and oneside of the casing of the foot-lever removed. Fig. 4 is a verticalsectional view of the casing of the foot-lever, looking toward the frontof the machine. Fig. 5 is a side view of the frame supporting thelever-casing. Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view of the frame and ofthe casing, and Fig. 7 is a side view of the part of the machineframe towhich the frame supporting the lever-casing is secured.

The same numerals of reference indicate the same or corresponding partsin all the figures.

My invention has relation to that class of bicycles in which thedrive-wheel is revolved by a strap wrapped around the ratchet-casingupon the shaft of the wheel, and in which this strap is drawn out andunwound from the ratchet-casing by depressing a foot-lever or pedal andis-againwound up on the casing by a spring within the latter; and itconsists in the improved construction and combination of parts of such abicycle, as hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed. In bicycles orother velocipedes of this class, and more especiallyin the so-calledStar bicycle,which at present is about the only practical machine ofthis kind, the gearing will only admit of two adjustments-one for speedand the other for power; but it is often desirable to havethe levers soarranged and their connecting-gearing so constructed that the gearingmay be adjusted for speed, for moderate speed and power, and for power,which adjustments I have accomplished by my improvement. It is likewiseoften desirable to have the levers supported adjustably, so that theymay be brought to stand at the height most suitable for the rider,admitting of the stroke be ng finished, and this is accomplished bysecurlng the frame supporting the levers and then: gearing adjustablyupon the machineframe. The brake-operating mechanism is likewise soconstructed that it may operate the brake at any position of thesteering head and wheel, and the saddle and supporting-frame is soarranged that the rider will sit at the most advantageous place and willbe easily and smoothly supported.

I shall now proceed to describe the specific construction of the partsof the machine, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, inwhich The numeral 1 indicates the drive-wheel, which is of the usualconstruction, and has its axle or shaft 2 projecting through the closedheads of the cylindrical ratchet-boxes 3 or clutch-boxes, which boxesmay contain the ratchet or clutch mechanism of any suitableconstruction. I

The frame of the machine consists of a pair of vertical rods, 4, a pairof horizontal rods, 5, and a pair of upwardly and forwardly inclinedrods, 6, all of which rods project radially from circular frames, 7,having three (more or less) segmental slots, 8, in them and surroundingthe ratchet-boxes.

A circular frame, 9, is secured to the circular central frame by meansof nutted bolts 10, passing through the slots, and this frame isprovided with a step, 11, at its under side, and withaforwardly-projecting arm,12,which is connected to a similarly-shapedarm, 13, by means of a larger bolt, 14, between the outer ends of thearms and a smaller bolt, 15, be tween the inner portions of the arms,and by means of a vertical and diametrioal bar, 16, extending betweenthe rear ends of the bifurcated rear portion of the arm, having acentral perforation, 17, into which the nutted end of the shaft or axleof the drive-wheel is secured, the upper and lower ends of this barbeing connected to the upper and lower edges of the circular frame bymeans of short bars 18.

The foot-levers 19 are pivoted with their inner bifurcated ends upon thebolts between the forward ends of the arms, and the outer ICO ends ofthe levers are formed, preferably, with a series of perforations or aslot in which the bolt 20 of the pedal 21 may be adjusted. The innerbifurcated end of each of the levers straddles two disks, 22, journaledupon the central bolt, and the upper edges of these disks are preferablyformed with notches or cogs 23, which may be engaged by a spring-bolt,24, in the upper united portions of the bifurcated ends of the lever, sothat the lever may be adjusted by means of this bolt and the cogs ornotches to stand at various angles. The disks are formed at their lowerrear portions with segmental slots 25,ex tending, preferably, for aboutninety degrees and registering with each other, and the disks slide withthese slots upon the bolts 15, connecting the arms of the frame, thebolt and the slots thus limiting the play of the disks upon the centralbolt. The disks are united by three bolts, 26, 27,and 28, secured withtheir ends in the disks in a radial line upward, and by adiametrically-opposite bolt, 29, and a small cylinder, 30, having aslot, 31, above the innermost bolt of the three, serves, furthermore,toconnect the disks,being secured with its edges in the inner faces of thedisks. The inner faces of the disks are formed with two circulargrooves, 32 and 33, both grooves slightly outside of the two outerbolts, 26 and 27, and semicircular plates or bars 34 slide with theiredges in these grooves and have at one end hooked arms 35, for engagingthe bolts, and at the other end a perforation, 36, which may be engagedby a pin, 37, upon the inner end of the drum-strap 39, which strap isprovided at its free end with hooks 38, for engaging one of the boltsconnecting the disks.

It will now be seen that if the semicircular plates are slid into theforward halves of the grooves and their hooks are slipped over theircorresponding bolts the hooked end of the drum-strap may be hooked overthe inner bolt, giving the power exerted upon the outer end of thefoot-lever considerable'leverage upon the strap, so that by this adjustment power is increased, but at the cost of speed, as usual. When thesemicircular plate is slid around in the inner groove, bringing itbetween the rear halves of the disks, the hooked end of the drum-strapis hooked upon the second bolt, and the pin in the drum strap willengage the perforation in the end of the plate, causing the strap to bewound upon the same, and in this case moderate power will exert moderatespeed; but when the outer semicircular plate is similarly adjusted andthe strap secured to it the strap will wind upon a plate of stillgreater diameter, causing a quicker unwinding of the drum-strap from thedrum, but at the same time requiring a greater exertion of power uponthe lever.

The saddle 40 is secured upon a spring, 41, secured between the upperends of the verti cal rods of the frame and the forwardly-inclined rods,and the steeringrod 42 is journaled in bearings 43 and 44 in the ends ofthe upwardly-inclined rods and in the ends of the horizontal rods,having the fork 45 straight with it and formed with the lower endsslightly curved forward.

The brake 46 is fulcrumed between the upper ends of theforwardly-inclined rods, and has the bifurcated end of its outer armstraddling the steering-rod, and the inner end of the brake-handle 48,which is pivoted upon one of the handle-bars 49, is pivotally con nectedto the upper end of a rod, 50, sliding in the upper tubular portion, 51,of the steering-rod and having a cross'head, 52, at its lower end, whichslides in vertical slots 53 in the said rod, and has a ring, 47, securedto its ends, adapted to depress the end of the brakearm when thesliding-rod is depressed, aspring, 55, within the hollow steeringrodholding the sliding rod and ring normally out of contact with the arm ofthe brake.

The lamp 54 is preferably secured at the bearing 44 for thesteering-rod, being thus supported immediately above the steering-wheel.

By having the saddle supported between the center of the drive wheel andthe steeringwheel it will afford an easy seat for the rider, and, thesteering-rod being vertical, or nearly so, the machine will steer easilyand without any danger of the steering-wheel being turned to the side byobstructions, and thus causing a fall.

The pedals may be adjusted upon the levers so as to admit of variousleverage, the drumstrap may be adjusted to give three differentadjustments of power and speed, and the disks and the levers may beraised or lowered, ac cording to the length of the riders legs, byloosening and securing the nutted bolts in the segmental slots of thecircular frame, the levers being adjusted to the proper angle for workafter the disks have been lowered or raised by adjusting the bolts ofthe bifurcated ends in the notches or cogs of the edges ofthe disks.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States 1. In a bicycle, the combination ofthe central circular frame, 7, having segmental slots 8, the circularframe 9, having the f0rwardlyprojecting arms supporting the foot-leversand the driving-gear, and the nutted bolts passing through the segmentalslots and the circular frame, adjusting the latter, as shown, and forthe purpose specified.

2. In a bicycle, the combination of a circular frame, 7, havingsegmental slots 8, the circular frame 9, having bolts 10 and arm 12,andprovided with the cross-bar 16, having connecting-lips 18 and arm 13,connected by bolts 14 and 15 to the other arm, the drum or ratch et-boxwithin the frame having the drumstrap, and the foot-lever having thedisks formed with the segmental slots 25, and having the drum-strapsecured between them, as

shown, and for the purpose specified.

3. In a bicycle, the combination of the adjustable frame 9, having arms12 and 13, the disks having the cogs or notches 23 and journaled betweenthe ends of the arms, and the lever pivoted with its bifurcated innerends straddling the disks upon the journal'bolt 0f the disks and havingthe spring-boltengaging the cogs or notches, as shown, and for thepurpose specified.

4. In a bicycle, the combination of the drum or ratchet-box, thecircular frame surroundingthe said box and having its cross-bar securedto the axle or shaft and formed with the forwardly-projecting armsconnected by the journal-bolt l4 and the smaller bolt, 15, the disks 22,having the segmental slot 25 and journaled upon the journal-bolt, andformed with the bolts 26, 27, and 28, and bolt 29, and

having the cylinder 30 and circular grooves 32.

and 33 in their inner faces, the semicircular plates having theperforation and the hooked ends and sliding in the grooves, and thedrumstraps secured to the drum and having the hooked end and the pinnear the end, as shown, and for the purpose specified.

5. lhe combination of the steering-rod having the upper tubular portionprovided with longitudinal slots in its sides, the brake-bar v fulcrumedupon the handle-bar, the rod in the bearing against the under side ofthe ring of 35 the cross-head, as shown, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SIDNEY SMITH.

\Vitnesses:

E. A. ALLEN, K. A. ADAMS.

